Thursday, December 19, 2013

Secretary Bird (Africa Series)

The Secretary Bird is a nomad at heart.Boldly wandering the grasslands, he
is the terrestrial raptor to be reckoned with in Africa.He can fly, but prefers to walk.

Odd-looking even in the bizarre world of birds, the
Secretary Bird arouses immediate curiosity.Eagle-like
in body shape, but with pinkish crane-like legs and a red face, the Secretary
Bird is one of a kind.Close to four feet
tall, he can spot prey before it sees him…run it down…stomp it to death…grab
it in his hooked bill and keep on walking.

With everyplace
and no place to call home, the
Secretary Bird is certain to cross paths where he is not welcome. A pair of
Crowned Plover took to the air to intercept this Secretary Bird as he passed
through plover-land.

Grossly out-matched, a Crowned Plover buzzes the Secretary
Bird to display his displeasure, but inflicts no pain. Dismissing the attack to his head, the Secretary Bird marched straight
ahead…never broke stride.

The Crowned Plovers must have had a reason to be so bold and
it probably was eggs or nestlings.The encounter with the Secretary Bird only lasted a minute, but if he had been more determined and happened upon the Crowned Plover’s nest, he would have
taken advantage of the opportunity.

Secretary Birds eat a wide variety of ground dwelling
animals including mice, invertebrates, lizards, snakes and other birds. Insects are often flushed from cover by
stomping on mats of vegetation.
Even venomous snakes are fair game. Although not immune to the poison, Secretary Birds are agile
enough to stomp the snake into unconsciousness before swallowing it.(Click any picture to enlarge)

There are several possible explanations for the Secretary bird's unusual name. A French corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair meaning “hunter-bird" is one thought.Another explanation is more widely known. European male secretaries of the 1700-1800’s wore tall
grey tailcoats with knee-length pants and often kept a goose-quill pen resting
over an ear. The bird’s knee-length feathered pants andhead featherscompared to the human secretaries of
the time and may have fixed the name in people’s minds.